A fellow Secular Franciscan, Karen Szczesniak, "personalized" the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, paraphrasing it and noting on what paragraph in the Rule she based each paraphrase. I have used her creation as part of my daily prayers.
SFO RULE of LIFE
In recognizing, experiencing, and celbrting the holiness of my secular state in life, I am called as a Franciscan, by the Spirit of God:
To follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, making present the charism of my Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church. #1
To strive for perfect charity, pledging myself to live the Gospel in the manner of St. Francis, by means of our Rule. #2
To accept that interpretation of our Rule belongs to the Holy See and its application is made by General Constitutions and particular statutes. #3
To devote myself especially to careful reading of the Gospel, going from Gospel to life, and life to the Gospel. #4
To encounter the living and active person of Christ in my brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scripture, in the Church, and in liturgical activity, making the faith of St. Francis an inspiration and pattern of my Eucharistic life. #5
To go forth as a witness and instrument of mission in the Church among all people, proclaiming Christ by my life and words; devoting myself energetically to living in full communion with the pope, bishops, and priests, fostering an open and trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity. #6
To conform my thoughts and deed to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the Gospel itself calls "conversion." #7
To let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all I am and do; reliving the mysteries of the life of Christ; participating in the Eucharist and joining in liturgical prayer. #8
To express ardent love for the Virgin Mary by imitating her complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently. #9
To faithfully fulfill the duties proper to my circumstances of life; following the poor and crucified Christ, witnessing to Him even in difficulties and persecutions. #10
To seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying my material needs; being mindful that according to the Gospel, I am a steward of the goods I receive for the benefit of God's children; to purify my heart from every tendency and yearning for possession and power. #11
To set myself free to love God and my brothers and sisters. #12
To accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ; to be on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom I shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ. #13
To build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively; to exercise my responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service. #14
To promote justice; to esteem work as a gift and as a sharing in creation, redemption, and spirit of the human community. Especially in the field of public life, make definite choices in harmony with my faith. # 15 #16
To cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life; to live the grace of matrimony; to joyfully accompany children on their spiritual journey. # 17
To respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which "bear the imprint of the Most High"; to promote universal kinship. #18
To seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue; striving to bring joy and hope to others. #19
To give true meaning to Sister Death by serenely looking toward the ultimate encounter with the Father. #19
To recognize that local, regional, national, and international fraternities have their own moral personality in the Church, united through this Rule and the Constitutions. #20
To be guided by my elected Council and Minister according to the Constitutions. #21
To help develop, as a privileged place, my fraternity, with a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and to enliven the apostolic life of my brothers and sisters. #22
To recognize that my entire community is engaged in the process of growth by the way we live in fraternity, to be open to fraternal dialogue with those in initial formation, and because Profession is a permanent commitment, be of aid to those in the discernment process. #23
To assist my local council in fostering communion among my brothers and sisters; work with Franciscan Youth Groups; seek ways to adopt appropriate means of growth in Franciscan and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. #24
To be in communion with deceased brothers and sisters through prayer for them #24
To offer a contribution according to my means to assist my own Fraternity and those needs of the higher council. #25
To be in communion with suitable and well-prepared religious for the purpose of spiritual assistance.#26
Pax et bonum
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